Switch



March 2), 11937. C HOWELL 2,73,555

SWITCH Filed May 26, 1934 Patented Mar. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES EPATENT OFFICE SWITCH Cecil C. Howell, McPherson, Kans.

Application May 26, 1934, Serial No. 727,819

9 Claims.

My invention relates generally to electrical switches, and particularly to a switch having wholly enclosed operating mechanism, contained within an oil filled chamber to eliminate arcing, and an important object of my invention is to provide a switch of the character indicated which can be made in the smallest sizes and also in large sizes, and which is simple and foolproof and of unquestioned durability because of the absence of numerous and wearing parts.

It is also an important object of my invention to provide a positive acting switch of the character indicated in which the fluid container is of the expansible type.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description in connection with the drawing, wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the embodiment.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken through Figure 1 approximately on the line 22 25 and looking downwardly in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the divided contacts.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the nu- 30 meral 5 generally designates a suitable dielectric base on which is mounted a housing 6 which is open at its top as indicated at l and surrounds and contains in a telescopic manner the cylindrical open bottomed guide 8 to the top 35 of which is connected the upper end of a metallic bellows 9 which has its lower closed end In secured to the top of the base 5 and provided with openings H, 12 to receive dielectric blocks l3, M, respectively, which mount the divided 40 contacts l5, l6, respectively, within the bellows and on the lower end thereof, these contacts being held in place by suitable bolts ii, it, respectively, which are arranged to act also as binding posts for connection of the related con- 5 ductors. The form of the contacts E5, it, re-

spectively, is clearly shown in Figure 3 and any other suitable type of divided spring contacts may be substituted therefor, provided the function is the same.

50 Rising from the bottom iii of the bellows is the guide rod is on which the piston 26 slides. A cylinder 2% whose upper end is fixed to the top of the bellows which is also the top of the member 8, slides on the exterior of the piston 55 20. On the top of the cylinder 25 is secured a button 23 which is to be pressed downwardly to operate the switch into a closed position. Within the cylinder 2! is a helical spring 24 which has its upper end anchored as indicated at 25 in an opening in the top 22 and its lower 5 end pressing downwardly against the top of the piston 28 and secured thereto.

Depending from the piston is the tubular portion 2! on the lower end of which is the contact member of the switch which has the blades 10 29, 3% which are adapted to engage the contacts l5, l6, respectively, when the bellows is downwardly collapsed by pressing downwardly on the button 23. Collapsing of the bellows compresses the spring 24 until it overcomes the resistance 15 of the sliding friction of the parts and presses the blades 29, 38 downwardly against the contacts l5, l6 and between the arms thereof, thereby closing the circuit through the contacts.

An offsetcircumferentially reduced portion 32 20 of the casing 6 which extends radially outwardly from one side of the casing as shown in Figure 2 forms a housing for the switch locking and releasing lever 33 which is in the form of a spring arm bent upon itself as indicated at 34 to form a plate portion 35 engaged with the top of the base 5 and anchored by means of a bolt 36 and having a tooth 3'1! near its upper end and having its upper end extending through an opening 38 in the top 22 of the member 8 which is part of a vertical opening 39 extending the full height of the member 8 as indicated in Figures 1 and 2.

The tooth 31 is adapted to engage the top 22 adjacent the opening 39 so as to hold the bellows in the collapsed position in which the contacts are bridged and the switch is closed. Simply by pushing the upper part of the lever 33 toward the left in Figure 1 the bellows will be released and the switch opened by reason of the upward travel of the bellows in its resumption of its normal 40 condition, accompanied by rising of the cylinder 2| to a position sufficiently elevated above the contacts l5 and it to withdraw the contact members blades 29 and 30 out of engagement with the contacts i5 and i6.

The bellows may be constructed of any suitable fiexible metallic or similar material suitable to contain a quantity of oil (not shown), which will at all times surround the moving parts and quench any arcing thereof besides lubricating the engagement of the parts.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of my invention it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto,

and any change or changes may be made in materials and in structure and arangernent of parts, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claims.

a What is claimed is:-

1. A switch of the character indicated comprising a base having a pair of insulated contacts thereon, a guide rising from said base adjacent said contacts, a contact bridging member slidable on said guide into and out of bridging relation with said contacts, bellows container means surrounding and enclosing the structure described and rising from said base said bellows container means being arranged to contain a quantity of liquid for lubricating the parts and quenching arcing between said bridging member and said contacts, said bellows means normally supporting said bridging member out of contact with said contacts.

2. A switch of the character indicated comprising a base having a pair of insulated contacts thereon, a guide rising from said base adjacent said contacts, a contact bridging member slidable on said guide into and out of bridging relation with said contacts, bellows container means surrounding and enclosing the structure described and rising from said base said bellows container means being arranged to contain a quantity of liquid for lubricating the parts and quenching arcing between said bridging member and said contacts, said base having thereon a laterally movable member for engaging a portion of the last described means to hold the same in the contact bridging position and to release the same therefrom into open position, said bellows container means having an element slidably engaging said contact bridging member and supporting said member out of contact with said contacts while said bellows container means is 40 in an expanded condition, said element containing spring means yieldably holding said bridging member in a direction to assure engagement thereof with said contacts while said bellows container means is in a collapsed condition.

3. A switch of the character described coinprising a base having a pair of insulated contacts thereon, a collapsible bellows fastened to said base so as to surround and rise above said contacts, said bellows having a closed top, a slide guide depending from said top within said bellows, a slide vertically slidable within said guide, slide stopping means at the lower end of said guide, a spring within said guide and expanding between said top and said slide and urging said slide downwardly, a contact bridging member at the lower end of said slide for engaging and bridging said pair of contacts when said bellows is in a sufficiently downwardly collapsed condition.

4. A switch of the character described comprising a base having a pair of insulated contacts thereon, a collapsible bellows fastened to said base so as to surround and rise above said contacts, said bellows having a closed top, a slide guide depending from said top within said bellows, a slide vertically slidable within said guide, slide stopping means at the lower end of said guide, a spring within said guide and expanding between said top and said slide and urging said slide downwardly, a contact bridging member at the lower end of said slide for engaging and bridging said pair of contacts when said bellows is in a sufficiently downwardly collapsed condition, and means surrounding said bellows and arranged to strike the base in a collapsed position of the bellows to limit further collapsing of said bellows.

5. A switch of the character described comprising a base having a pair of insulated contacts thereon, a collapsible bellows fastened to said base so as to surround and rise above said contacts, said bellows having a closed top, a slide guide depending from 'said top within said bellows, a slide vertically slidable within said guide, slide stopping means at the lower end of said guide, a spring within said guide and expanding between said top and said slide and urging said slide downwardly, a contact bridging member at the lower end of said slide for engaging and bridging said pair of contacts when said bellows is in a sufficiently downwardly collapsed condition, and a spring latch on the base and arranged to engage an upper portion of said bellows to hold said bellows in the fully collapsed switch closing position.

6. A switch of the character described comprising a base having a pair of insulated contacts thereon, a collapsible bellows fastened to said base so as to surround and rise above said contacts and form a receptacle adapted to hold a quantity of lubricating and are quenching oil, said bellows having a closed top, a slide guide depending from said top within said bellows, a slide vertically slidable within said guide, slide stopping means at the lower end' of said guide, a

spring within said guide and expanding between i said top and said slide and urging said slide downwardly, a contact bridging member at the lower end of said slide for engaging and bridging said pair of contacts when said bellows is in a sufficiently downwardly collapsed condition, said slide having a tubular part sliding on said guide rod.

' 7. A switch comprising a base having a pair of insulated contacts thereon, a guide rod rising from said base, a contact member slidable on said guide rod toward and away from said contacts, said contact member including a contact bridging element, and a head including a lateral flange,

a metallic bellows surrounding said contacts, said I guide rod and said contact member and having its lower end fastened to said base, said bellows having a closed top including a depending tubular member in which said lateral flange is slidable, a helical spring in said tubular member having its opposite ends fastened respectively to said top and to said head of the contact member, said tubular member having stop means at it lower end engageable by said lateral flange for limiting downward movement of said contact member.

8. A switch comprising a base having a pair of insulated contacts thereon, a guide rod rising fromsaid base, a contact member slidable on said guide rod toward and away from said contacts,

said contact member including a contact bridging element, and a head including a lateral flange, a metallic bellows surrounding said contacts, said guide rod and said contact member and having its lower end fastened to said base,

said bellows having a closed top including a depending tubular member in which said lateral flange is slidable, a helical spring in said tubular member having its opposite ends fastened respectively to said top and to said head of the contact member, said tubular member having stop means at its lower end engageable by said lateral flange for limiting downward movement of said contact member, said bellows including a shell fastened to said bellows and depending into,

a position to engage said base in a collapsed condition of said bellows for limiting collapsing of the bellows.

9. A switch comprising a base having a pair of insulated contacts thereon, a guide rod rising from said base, a contact member slidable on said guide rod toward and away from said contacts, said contact member including a contact bridging element, and a head including a lateral flange, a metallic bellows surrounding said contacts, said guide rod and said contact member and having its lower end fastener to said base, said bellows having a closed top including a depending tubular member in which said lateral flange is slidable, a helical spring in said tubular member having its opposite ends fastened respectively to said top and to said head of the contact member, said tubular member having stop means at its lower end engageable by said lateral flange for limiting downward movement of said contact member, said bellows including a shell fastened to said bellows and depending into a position to engage said base in a collapsed condition of said bellows for limiting collapsing of the bellows, one side of said shell being formed with an opening, and spring latch means on said base, said latch means being operable through said opening to engage said bellows for holding said bellows in a collapsed condition.

CECIL C. HOWELL. 

